DOT

May 20, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will allocate $142,720,815 in federal funding to transportation projects in Pennsylvania. The funds are enabled by the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“I am pleased the stimulus funds are benefiting Pennsylvania’s important transportation projects,” Specter said. “By advancing our roadways and mass transit infrastructure, this funding will reduce congestion, as well as our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil.”    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today – for the first time in history – set in motion a new national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the United States.

The new standards, covering model years 2012-2016, and ultimately requiring an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016, are projected to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program with a fuel economy gain averaging more than 5 percent per year and a reduction of approximately 900 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions.

This would surpass the CAFE law passed by Congress in 2007 required an average fuel economy of 35 mpg in 2020.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) last week applauded a decision by the Obama Administration to end slot auctions at airports in the New Jersey-New York area airports. Under the Administration’s proposal, the Department of Transportation would halt plans announced by the Bush Administration last October to withdraw slots from airlines flying in the region and auction them to the highest bidder.    » read more »

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the following today:

“The Administration’s anticipated announcement for joint EPA-DOT regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy contains two important elements that I have been fighting for over many years. First, it will establish a single national standard that will provide predictability and certainty for the auto companies in meeting regulations, which the industry apparently believes it can achieve over a realistic timeframe.    » read more »

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller (both D-W.Va.) and Representative Nick J. Rahall, II (D-W.Va.) today announced $2,000,000 in funding from the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration for road repairs in southern West Virginia following severe flooding on May 9th, 2009.

"The Obama Administration approved the federal disaster declaration promptly, and I am pleased to see money beginning to move into Southern West Virginia just as quickly to make these necessary infrastructure improvements and help get the area back on its feet as quickly as possible," said Senator Byrd.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the availability of $1.5 billion in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grants for capital investment in surface transportation projects. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas.

“TIGER discretionary funding will open up the door to many new innovative and cutting-edge transportation projects,” said Secretary LaHood. “This is exciting news and I believe that these projects will promote greater mobility, a cleaner environment and more livable communities.”    » read more »

May 12, 2009 -- The nation’s largest airlines had a rate of on-time flights this past March that was higher than the same month last year but down from the mark posted in February 2009, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 78.4 percent in March, better than the 71.6 percent on-time rate of March 2008 but down from February 2009’s 82.6 percent.    » read more »

May 07, 2009 -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that transit projects around the country will receive $742.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds.

“This money will not only put people back to work and spur the economy, it will also provide an alternative form of transportation for people around the country to get to their homes, work and school,” Secretary LaHood said.

The grants will go toward projects for which the Federal Transit Administration has already entered into multi-year federal commitments known as “full funding grant agreements,” in Arizona, California, Colorado, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington State.    » read more »

Accept More Than $38 Million in Education Funds

May 6, 2009 -- CONCORD - New Hampshire Governor John Lynch and the Executive Council today approved $36 million in transportation contracts funded by the stimulus package, which includes a $25.9 million contract for the widening of Interstate-93 in the area of Exit 3 in Windham.

The Governor and Council also accepted more than $39 million in special education and Title I education funding to help local New Hampshire school districts.    » read more »

April 13, 2009 -- President Barack Obama today announced funding for the 2,000th transportation project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), only six weeks after approving the first project. The President made the remarks at the U.S. Department of Transportation with Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

“Just 41 days ago we announced funding for the first transportation project under ARRA and today we’re approving the 2,000th project,” said President Obama. “I am proud to utter the two rarest phrases in the English language – projects are being approved ahead of schedule, and they are coming in under budget.”    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC, Wednesday, April 8, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced that airports around the country will receive $258 million under the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

“Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act we are creating jobs across the country while investing in the long-term safety and economic vitality of our airports,” said Secretary LaHood.    » read more »

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - Surface transportation trade between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 27.2 percent lower in January 2009 than in January 2008, dropping to $47.5 billion, the biggest year-to-year percentage decline on record, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The $47.5 billion in U.S.-NAFTA trade in January 2009 was the lowest monthly amount since January 2004.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico fell 10.3 percent in January from December. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC, Monday, March 30, 2009 – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood joined China’s Minister of Transport Li Shenglin today in a historical signing of an agreement to cooperate on the safe transportation of hazardous materials.

Signing the agreement, Secretary LaHood said that both nations’ industries – including manufacturing, agriculture, and medical research – need regular access to certain types of dangerous materials to conduct business.

“Chinese businesses ship billions of dollars worth of trade goods around the world each year, including to the United States,” said Secretary LaHood. “We are eager to work together to make sure these items are transported safely. And I look forward to participating in this important mission.”    » read more »

March 26, 2009 -- PHOENIX - U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced more than $28 million for Arizona airports under the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including a $10.5 million grant for runway rehabilitation at the heavily traveled Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“This Administration is committed to getting the U.S. economy going again and these grants are part of making that happen,” said Secretary LaHood. “We are creating jobs here in Arizona while investing in the long-term safety and economic vitality of our airports.”    » read more »

March 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Barack Obama announced that Jon Wellinghoff, currently serving as Acting Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), will be designated as Chairman.    » read more »